The argument can be made that no media person is as synonymous with any sport in the country as Dick Vitale is with college basketball. Some people love his genuine enthusiasm; others think he's too bombastic, over the top and annoying. One thing's for certain: he takes nothing for granted. Vitale went out of his way to ask me if I'd like to have a few minutes for an interview. ... Read More

Note: ESPN allowed me into its hub with its college basketball analysts under the agreement that everything said in the room was off the record. Anything with quotes attached to it was cleared by said parties. I will have separate Q&A's with Digger Phelps and Dick Vitale going up Monday morning. The campus in Bristol is wide-ranging, ever-expanding and on extreme lockdown for anyone without proper ID; when attempting to leave ... Read More

Some good television near the top of ESPN's bracketology show last night. Love Vitale's emotion, and love Bilas' law-school-trained counter as well. Then Vitale drops a "you went to Duke, you must be right" card on Bilas! Love it. Wait until the final seconds of the video, when Phelps then appears to further mock (maybe applaud?) Bilas when Vitale's done. ... Read More

Who wouldn't be brought to tears by Jim Nantz's presence... In all seriousness, Vitale does deserve to be in the HOF due to his name being synonymous—for better or for worse—with college basketball. Still, it brings up a surprising circumstance: Bob Knight campaigned to current HOF members to vote Dickie V in? That kind of taints it, right? ... Read More

To think we all laughed and mocked Dickie V in drag yesterday ... all double-digit squads won down in the Sunshine State. The coincidental nature of the photo is more than troubling. And in case you hadn't seen this picture, which was bouncing around the Interwebs yesterday, I apologize for such  a startling image to jumpstart your Tournament Saturday. Only double-digit seed in play today is Beasley and Co. with K-State ... Read More

Knight's face is priceless. Does he just not care about what Vitale is saying? Is Vitale outing a plan that Knight has? Who knows. What a blowhard. It's weird and hard to make Bobby Knight seem like a victim, but Vitale just did it. ... Read More

Or something. And y'know, for all the reasons that Duke can be hateable, UNC fans (and their coach) have plenty of reasons to be mocked and ridiculed as well. (Need I remind you? Six second mark is what I'm referring to here.) As for tonight, Dickie V is back just in time from his vocal chord surgery to scream his lungs out over this one. C'mon, don't tell me that you ... Read More

College basketball! You gotta--*cough*, love this game! Super, scint--*gag*--OHHH!!!--*lung emerges from throat*. Yes, it's unfortunate (and I think I'm genuine in saying that), but Dick Vitale will not be cutting off Dan Shulman's sentences for a few weeks now. Vitale has lesions in his vocal chords and will need some surgery and rehabilitation before he gets behind the mic again. I did wonder why Vitale sounded like he had just finished ... Read More